

radiation treatments, ultrasound) and chemical (e.g. With the help of structural modification, one can improve the mechanical, thermal, rheological and barrier properties of gelatin.

It is important that the films used in food packaging have sufficient mechanical and barrier properties to ensure food quality and protect the food from the environment. The global fish gelatin market was valued at $276.1 million in 2020 and is estimated to reach $496.3 million by 2030, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1% from 2021 to 2030 ().ĭue to the fact that gelatin from marine species has a higher number of hydrophobic amino acids and less proline and hydroxyproline than gelatin from pigs, cattle and poultry, it results in a lower gelling ability, melting point, and weaker mechanical and barrier properties.

Gelatin can be included as an important component in food packaging, and Norskin wants to use its gelatin in this market.Ĭurrently, there are no industrial or commercial actors in Norway processing scales into fish gelatin. With the help of weak acid and moderate heat, collagen can be extracted to obtain gelatin solution.įish gelatin can be used as an ingredient in foods, but also has technical applications. Develop a gelatin-based film with good rheological, mechanical and barrier properties for use in food packaging applications.Įstablish pilot-scale production of fish gelatin from salmonid scales and assess suitability of the extracted gelatin for packaging applications, and then modify the gelatin properties through application-specific sustainable strategies.įish scales, which are a by-product in the processing of fish skin, contain the protein collagen in addition to minerals.Improve the functional properties of the extracted fish gelatin by crosslinking gelatin with various phenolic compounds or by mixing gelatin with other biopolymers.In this new project, one wishes to use the experience and results from the Mabit project called ‘Resource utilisation of fish scales – extraction of gelatin for use in bioplastics’ to: This resulted in a bachelor’s thesis on the extraction of gelatin from fish scales, which was a good supplement to the report. In order to get more out of the research project, Nofima, in consultation with Norskin, recruited a bachelor student studying marine biotechnology to expand the trials. In the Mabit project called ‘Resource utilisation of fish scales – extraction of gelatin for use in bioplastics’ (UB0084), a method was found for extracting gelatin from fish scales, and which pretreatment of the fish skins is ideal for obtaining the best quality of gelatin from the scales.

The process removes scales from the skins and the main goal of the company is to utilise them for the further production of fish gelatin that can be used in food packaging. The company mainly processes salmon skin.
NORLAND FISH GELATIN SKIN
Norskin is a company located in Fauske, Nordland, that processes fish skin for further processing into high-cost products.
